Dan Lehman (1952-2008)
LEHMAN, MONTHEI, THOMPSON, SUMMERS
Posted By: Ames Tribune
Date: 3/27/2008 at 21:49:52
THE AMES TRIBUNE, Ames, Story County, Iowa, Wednesday, March 26, 2008.
Nov. 16, 1952-March 21, 2008
Mass of Christian Burial for Dan Lehman, 55, of Panora, will be at 11 a.m. Friday, March 28, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Jefferson. Cremation will follow the service.
A Knights of Columbus Rosary will be at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 27, at St. Joseph Catholic Church followed by visitation with the family from 6 to 9 p.m. at the church.
Laughing and skiing down the mountain with his sons is exactly the way he would have chosen to finish his life here on Earth. We consider that a wonderful little gift from God.
His journey began Nov. 16, 1952, in Fort Dodge, and ended on a beautiful sunny morning on a snow-covered mountaintop in the resort of Winter Park, Colo., on Friday, March 21, where he died of a massive heart attack. He was born into the family of Dwight and Beverly Lehman and grew up with his three brothers and one sister. He graduated from Jefferson High School in 1971 and from Iowa State University in 1978.
He married his high school sweetheart, Muriel Monthei, Sept. 24, 1971. They lived in Jefferson, where they raised three children who were the pride of his life - Heidi, Andy and Luke. He was a hands-on dad, being involved in everything his kids were doing. When he wasn't coaching his kids on the sidelines, he was the proud dad in the stands cheering them on. As his kids became adults, he remained very close to them. He visited his sons in Colorado whenever he could, and saw Heidi almost every day at work.
In 1995, he and Muriel purchased a lot at Lake Panorama and built their dream home on it two years later. He was the perfect host and loved sharing his lake home with family and friends, creating lifetime memories of boats, burgers, beer and fireworks.
In recent years, he and Muriel were lucky enough to go on lots of trips together. Some of their recent favorites were to Ireland in the fall of 2007 where they kissed the Blarney Stone, and St. Augustine, Fla., in January where they drank from the Fountain of Youth. He was looking forward to taking all his family to Disneyworld in June.
As a young husband and father, he worked at various jobs in Jefferson until he was elected Greene County auditor in 1980. In 1983, he became a business partner in Computer Management Services. In August 1998, CMS was sold to Tyler Technologies, and he currently was serving as executive vice president of Tyler.
Dan/Dad/Grandpa will be remembered for his warm smile, his gentle and compassionate heart, his great love of golf, his exaggerated stories, his extreme generosity and the tremendous love he showed for his family and friends.
Left to carry on his love of life are his wife, Muriel; daughter, Heidi and her husband, Sean, of Ogden; sons, Andy and his friend, Kyla Kolbeck, of Denver, Colo., and Luke and his friend, Emily DeBolt, of Winter Park, Colo.; grandsons, Trey and Jade Thompson, of Ogden; his parents, Dwight and Beverly Lehman, of Jefferson; brothers, Allen and his wife, Susie, of Houston, David and his wife, Coreen, of Chicago, and Dick and his wife, Nancy, of Houston; sister, Cindy and her husband, Glenn Summers, of Blasdell, N.Y.; Muriel's parents, Wayne and Patsy Monthei, of Jefferson; and more relatives and friends than we can count.
Memorial contributions will go to the college funds of his grandchildren, which is exactly what he would have wanted. It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye, and although you leave us with a huge void in our lives, we know we'll see you again in the Big Rock Candy Mountains.
Services were arranged by Slininger-Rossow Funeral Homes Inc. of Jefferson, (515) 386-2171.
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